Representative AI image
The company says it has set aside $45 million to provide $10,000 to every eligible Hazle Township household. The $10,000 would be paid when the certificate of occupancy is issued for the first data centre building, which the company currently anticipates could happen in late 2027, according to NorthPoint’s project FAQ. The $45 million household fund is only one part of NorthPoint’s proposed community benefits. The company’s current plan describes a total commitment of $165 million. That includes $15 million for community programmes such as workforce development, education, arts, recreation and youth initiatives, plus another $105 million over 15 years. NorthPoint says the latter would provide Hazle Township with up to $7 million a year that could be used for local services, including establishing a police department and reducing residents’ trash fees. The developer previously announced a $30 million community development fund aimed partly at offsetting potential short-term local utility-rate increases, but its later proposal expanded the overall community-benefit commitment. Hazle Township supervisors rejected NorthPoint’s land-development application in November 2025. The proposal was for a 15-building data centre complex on roughly 1,280 acres. The township subsequently declared parts of its zoning ordinance invalid for failing to address data centres and imposed a limited 180-day moratorium while officials worked on new regulations.
Because the existing zoning ordinance did not specifically address data centres, in June 2026, a Luzerne County judge denied an appeal by NP Hazleton Logistics, a NorthPoint affiliate, and said the developer could pursue approval through the township’s zoning hearing board. NorthPoint’s legal challenge and the zoning process therefore remain important obstacles to the project. NorthPoint announced its direct resident grant programme as part of a wider package linked to Project Hazelnut.
Residents would be free to use the money as they choose, although NorthPoint says it could help with home maintenance, improvements, landscaping or solar projects. Importantly, the payment is conditional on the project moving forward. The proposed campus is far from construction.
NorthPoint Development has proposed Project Hazelnut, a data centre campus covering roughly 1,300 acres in Hazle Township, in the Pocono foothills. As part of a broader community-benefits package, the company says about 4,500 eligible households would each receive $10,000 if the project is approved and reaches the required stage. That would put the direct household fund at about $45 million.
A Pennsylvania developer is offering an unusually large financial incentive to win support for a proposed artificial intelligence data centre campus, but many residents say the money is not worth the potential cost to their community. Despite the offer, residents have raised concerns about noise, light pollution, property values, energy demand, water use and the long-term impact of the development.